JR Raphael

Some good news for owners of Google's LTE Chromebook Pixel: Following my report that data plans for the device were being disconnected prematurely, Google is stepping up to make things right.

The LTE Chromebook Pixel was originally sold with a free two-year mobile broadband plan from Verizon -- 100MB per month, with the option to purchase more data on a pay-as-you-go basis as needed. Not surprisingly, the reneging rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

While Verizon has yet to change its stance, a Google spokesperson tells me the company will now offer $150 credits to all customers who purchased an LTE Pixel while the two-year data plan was still being offered.

"While this particular issue is outside of our control, we appreciate that this issue has inconvenienced some of our users," the Google spokesperson said. The credits will come in the form of Visa gift cards that can be used for any expense, including (but not limited to) the purchase of mobile broadband access.

[Commentary] When a company promises two years of free mobile data service with a device, you expect them to deliver. So what happens when a promise suddenly evaporates after you've purchased a product? Chromebook Pixel: Verizon Data Plan.

That's the situation owners of Google's LTE Chromebook Pixel are finding themselves facing right now.

The LTE model of the Pixel went on sale from Google's Play Store last April for $1450. At the time, the product was advertised as coming with a free two-year mobile broadband plan from Verizon -- 100MB per month, with the option to purchase more data on a pay-as-you-go basis as needed.

Fast-forward to one year later, and Pixel LTE owners are discovering their data plans have been disconnected.

The option to pay for data remains, but the free 100MB per month mysteriously vanished just one year into the promised two-year period. Verizon is telling customers that as far as it's concerned, the plans were valid only for one year -- and that's why those initiated last spring are now expiring.